new thread
Hello all,
Maybe you remember me, maybe you don't. I posted WAY back in... February(?), but since then I've caved and cut my hair a few times. Basically, I'm still at the length I was then. The good news is IÂ’m happy to say IÂ’m more interested in growing my hair out than I was ever before! Back with a vengeance, you might say. I want to be able to wear my hair different ways, darn it! To have options; to be able to wear my hair in a ponytail one day and let it out the next.
Anyway, while browsing YouTube, I came across some awesome longhair videos and users. IÂ’m sure some of you have probably seen these before, but here they are:
http://www.youtube.com/user/hairfreaky
http://www.youtube.com/user/LongHairLuke
These videos, and the last one especially, have inspired me to really stick with it and grow my hair out, maybe even see how long my terminal length is. Why so long? Well, as dorky as it may sound, the thing that really got me wanting to grow my hair out (past my shoulders, at least) was the movie Avatar, with the Na’vi people’s simple yet distinguished long, waist-length braid. It was truly awe-inspiring for me, as corny as that may be. I’m not looking forward to the the obligatory “dirty, unmannered hippy” name-calling, however. And the awkward stage… But I digress; in the end I’m sure I’ll love my newfound locks, let’s just hope I don't get too attached to it!


PS: On another note, what about general hair care? IÂ’ve seen some male (and female) longhairs with dry, straw-like hair, which I frankly think is gross. Of course, thereÂ’s also the ones with shiny, soft, and healthy hair, too. Is it a matter of hair care, genetics, of some combination thereof?

PPS: I know this is still far off into the future, but I’m kind of apprehensive of just leaving my hair down at long lengths. Won’t it just blow everywhere, get into everything, and just generally be sloppy?
Thanks for your time and sorry for the longwinded rant/post. :)
Its mostly a matter of hair-care and how you style it. I was always very attracted to the idea of having shiny, sleek hair. I'd look at girls and wonder how they seemed to manage it so much easier than guys.
There is no real structural difference between male and female hair, so the answer is to copy the ladies. Many longhair guys don't and they are the ones who end up with dry, straw-like hair.
I'll post my hair care routine in a separate thread so you can get an idea of what it takes to keep naturally wavy dry hair smooth and sleek.
Again, learn from the ladies, how do they wear their hair on gusty days? How do they keep it in check?
Everyone has different genes and different hair types. I have long, smooth, silky, fine hair which drives me nuts as its soooo very very fine, fly away (I'm female btw) and I always wanted a bit of thickness - a friend of mine (also female btw) has straw-like, thick, wavy hair and I only found out recently we envied each other!!!
I think what you've got and what you think you want are 2 different things. Everyone sees something good & bad in themselves and others.
You just have to find what works for you.
As it is, nothing works for me, if its washed (with very gentle mild champoo) it looks sleek & great for about 2 days.. then it's limp so I revert to hairbands, ribbons, pigtails & anything to camouflage (I refuse to re-wash within a week, bad for the scalp in my case)
I suppose you also have to remember all those ad's you see are set up by professionals (usually using extensions, hair spray and fantastic camera work) reality is different.
Personally I love guys with long, straight hair - even if its a bit greasy I dont mind. No matter what, someone somewhere will think Ugh and someone somewhere will think 'hellooooo'
You just have to find a balance and use your own common sense.
Just my tuppence! :)
The grass always seems greener doesn't it? I've had a lot of girls complain to me about their fine-straight hair. They tell me how envious they are of my thicker wavier mane and I look at them with strange detachment and think "why would you want this much work?"
I suppose there is a happy medium hair type some where, but ultimately we all want what we don't have...
And I want Travis's hair. :D
This isn't true for all cases, but I've noticed that most people who have dry, scaly hair actually wash it too often. The ads on TV suggest washing every day, but that's not usually the best idea unless you're also conditioning and oiling as well. That sounds like too much work to me, but to each their own. It's a matter of experimenting and finding what works best for you. Asking a lot of questions on boards like this helps a lot. :)
Yeah a good rule of thumb... Frequent Shampooing = dry hair.
Detergents in Shampoos are what dry out your hair. Cheaper shampoos are made with cheaper detergents which are more likely to dry out your hair.
Conditioners are designed to combat this in two ways. (1) Return moisture to your hair shaft, (2) coat your hair shaft to lock in moisture and resurface your hair so it stays smooth, is protected from heat damage and is easier to comb.
However, too much conditioner causes a build-up and leaves your hair limp. So its about striking a balance.
Washing every day certainly is not the right way to go, but equally if you do sports you might not be able to leave your hair a week between shampooing.
My advice is that you can safely wash and condition your hair twice a week (or 5 times per fortnight). If necessary you can rinse your hair between times, but I'd avoid using products if you do this regularly. But honestly, unless you do sports, there is NO NEED for rinsing or washing your hair more than twice a week.
Like so many things, when it comes to haircare, it depends. Some people have good hair genes, some don't. Most of us are somewhere in the middle, so it boils down to what you do with it. If you don't plan on growing it beyond shoulder - shoulder blade length, you don't have to be quite as fussy about it, but if you want to grow it longer and keep it looking good, it needs a bit of tlc right from the beginning.
The most important thing is to avoid damage, so try not to do things that dry your hair out, such as washing too often, using hair dryers and straightening/curling tongs. Condition it every time you wash, and think about using a light oil such as jojoba, and if you're going to use hair dryers etc, use a serum to protect against heat damage. If you're going to be outside on a windy day, rein it in somehow, as blowing around will dry it out and cause tangles, not to mention irritate you and other people. Also, when it gets longer, watch out for car doors etc. It can be painful and embarrassing to have to open the door to let your hair in.
Buns, tails, braids, multitails etc all protect your hair by keeping it together, which helps to stop it drying out or getting tangled or caught in things. Protect your hair, keep it conditioned and moisturised and it should look good. If you tie your hair, avoid using rubber bands or ties with metal bits on them as they can tear your hair. Another thing to do is to snip out split ends from time to time.